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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stock — goods
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. stock — shares
  7. lean — thin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — a committee
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pop — to visit
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. board — to get on
  22. lean — to bend
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. suit — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com